Mao’s Last Dancer Director: Bruce Beresford Australia, 2009 Based on his bestselling autobiography, the dramatized story of Li Cunxin escaping from Communist China is not a particularly unique one. Handpicked from a dusty village in rural China, a young Li is forced to abandon his family and attend the most prestigious (and rigorous) arts school in all of China. At first, Li is inattentive, unmotivated. But, after viewing a tape of Baryshnikov (another ballet dancer who defected from his communist homeland), Li is inspired to become the greatest ballet dancer in the entire world. His fame eventually leads him to an exchange program with the Houston Ballet Company. It is here in America where his talents and love for ballet…

Prince Of Tears is a historical drama directed by well-known Hong Kong film director, Yonfan. A look into 1950s Taiwan, the film documents a young family during an era when Communists — and suspected Communists — were questioned and detained by the Taiwanese government. It is a tale of simultaneous betrayal and loyalty, where best friends turn into enemies and women take on lovers to secure social status. It offers a glimpse into a controversial era in Taiwanese history that is rarely discussed or even known outside of the country. Prince Of Tears utilizes expertly crafted sets and cinematography to give viewers a look back into a time where some families were torn apart by simple accusations and others were…

When 11-year-old Paloma (Garance Le Guillemic) decides that she wants to commit suicide on the date of her next birthday, she has 165 days left to go. By viewing her mother, who talks to house plants, and her father, who is well-intentioned but has nothing much more to offer, Paloma concludes that her life is bound to be horrible. Her promise to herself comes with one self-assigned stipulation, though; while other people might make climbing Mt. Everest their lives’ greatest goal, Paloma aims to make a film. She begins to do so with her father’s 8mm camera, filming everyone and anyone who will allow her to. With The Hedgehog (Le Herisson), director Mona Achache brings Muriel Barbery’s novel to life…

This week’s recommended picks! Go to the website for the Seattle International Film Festival for more details. Between Two Worlds A man returns to his homeland in Sri Lanka — post its 26-year civil war — to discover that the repercussions of war last far beyond wars themselves. SHOWTIMES Mon, May 24 @ 5:00pm (SIFF Cinema) Mon, May 31 @ 1:00pm (Everett Performing Arts Center) The Chef Of South Polar The story of Antarctic researchers turning to eccentric clothing and extravagant foods to cope with loneliness, The Chef Of South Polar (Nankyoku ryôrinin) is feel-good and overflowing with food. SHOWTIMES Mon, May 24 @ 7:00pm (Harvard Exit) Wed, May 26 @ 6:30pm (Admiral Theatre) The Maldives Perform Riders Of The…

Countdown to Zero Director: Lucy Walker USA, 2010 Countdown to Zero shakes off all the dirt, rumors, myths, and outright lies when it comes to the danger of nuclear terrorism. Using John F. Kennedy’s famous quote comparing nuclear weapons to the hanging sword of Damocles as a framework, director Lucy Walker’s documentary sheds light on how relatively simple it is to manufacture a nuclear weapon. The engineering is ancient technology, apparent to any scientist with a slight knowledge of ballistics. The materials are poorly guarded and easily smuggled to the black market. Even the weapons themselves are bought and sold without much hassle. The repeated theme that we are helpless when it comes to the threat of nuclear assault can…

Tonight! At the Egyptian in Seattle. Be there or be square. With special guests director Danny Perez and members of Animal Collective. $15. 7pm & 9pm. Tickets available at the door, cash only. Walk up ticket sales and will-call pickup starts at 6pm at the theater. Many more cities announced soon, DVD/iTunes release in June. Ω

The relationship between visuals and music are starting to be explored ad nauseum by musicians of all calibers and stages in their careers, but it’s important to take a look back on the forces and individuals who have brought our musical-visual synthesis to its current popularity. Northwest Film Forum’s upcoming Visual Music series will help to do just that. Taking place between April 9th and April 14th, 2010, it will showcase experimental films that pioneered concepts and techniques that are being used today. Says series curator Peter Lucas, “The history of visual music is a fascinating intersection of artists and disciplines. Many people don’t realize that visual art and design expanded into the realm of moving image as early as…

This weekend (plus Thursday)’s recommended picks! This is the last weekend of the Portland International Film Festival, so if you haven’t seen a movie yet, get out there. Forever Enthralled Chen Kaige tells the story of Chinese opera singer, Mei Langfang, who experienced world-wide fame, only to have his career threatened when he refused to sing under the Japanese occupation. SHOWTIMES Tue, Feb. 23 @ 8:15pm (B1) Thu, Feb. 25 @ 7:00pm (C21) The Inheritors The Inheritors takes you behind-the-scenes of the daily lives of hard-working people in Northern Mexico. Often working long hours under rough conditions, entire families partake in labor in order to survive. SHOWTIMES Thu, Feb. 25 @ 6:00pm (B3) Sat, Feb. 27 @ 2:45pm (WH) The…

This weekend’s recommended picks! Go to the website for the Portland International Film Festival for more details. A Town Called Panic An insane surreal stop-motion animated fantasy film featuring toy figurines doing all sorts of things in all sorts of settings. SHOWTIMES Sat, Feb. 20 @ 3:45pm (B3) Sun, Feb. 21 @ 7:45pm (B1) Chameleon This Hungarian film follows a Gábor, an office cleaner who thoroughly analyzes the garbage of those he works for. Using garbage as a guide, he carefully targets vulnerable women to take advantage of, but has a conflict when he finally falls in love with one of them. SHOWTIMES Sun, Feb. 21 @ 6:45pm (B4) Tue, Feb. 23 @ 6:15pm (B3) Wed, Feb. 24 @ 7:15p…

From its opening train hijacking sequence to its creative opening credits, The Good, The Bad, The Weird seemed like a film that would be right up my alley. The first few minutes were so enjoyable that I was quite sure that the goofy, highly stylized film would be one of my new favorites. Well, that was shooting a little too high. While it was in fact very close to being a perfect over-the-top, tongue-in-cheek masterpiece, it fell slightly short — an unfortunate situation, considering the film is very obviously the collaboration of people who know what they’re doing. First and foremost, the film succeeds in a fundamental way with fantastic character development. Familiar Korean actors fill in the roles impressively,…

Directed by Henrik Ruben Genz Terribly Happy opens with an outrageous narrative the film claims is based off of true events. In a small town, farmers discover that their cows are sinking into the grass fields, because the fields are really part bog. One cow gets stuck in the boggy field and is eventually dug out. Once it is, though, it gives birth to a calf that is half-human and half-bovine, and all of the women in the town become greatly distressed. The cow has to once again be sunk into the bog for the mental sanity of the people in town. Ridiculous! Through the years, I’ve taken quite a liking to the black comedies exported by Scandinavian countries. Not…